OBSERVER: EU Science for Preparedness conference reaffirms that science must drive disaster preparedness
OBSERVER: EU Science for Preparedness conference reaffirms that science must drive disaster preparedness
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Thu, 20/11/2025 – 12:13
Europe is facing an increasingly complex mix of natural, technological, and human-driven risks, and the need for science which can guide preparedness is stronger than ever. At the EU Science for Preparedness conference in Turin, experts from research, policy, and crisis response discussed how scientific evidence can help anticipate hazards, improve forecasting and support more resilient emergency management across the continent and beyond. Over three days, the discussions pointed to a shared message: preparedness depends on user-ready tools, stronger cooperation, and the ability to translate research into practical operational capacity. In this Observer we look at some of the main themes and insights from this year’s conference.
Organised by the European Commission through its Joint Research Centre (JRC), the EU Science for Preparedness conference combined the annual conferences of the Copernicus Emergency Management Service (CEMS) and the EU Disaster Risk Management Knowledge Centre (DRMKC). From 4 to 6 November experts from the scientific, policy, and crisis response communities gathered in Turin, Italy, for three days of learning, sharing, and exploring how science can help Europe better anticipate and prepare for future crises.
Science and user needs across the risk cycle
As Europe’s risk environment continues to evolve, the science-preparedness interface must adapt accordingly. “Nature, technology, and malicious intent are now combining, leading to more complex crises,” Dominique Orsini, Security and Defence Policy Directorate, European External Action Service (EEAS), told the gathered audience.
As crises become more complex, simplified models will no longer be sufficient. Science must deliver usable tools which align with the real-world requirements, contexts, and with the constraints of end users.
More so, these operational or near-operational solutions must cover the entire disaster risk management cycle, from prevention through preparedness, response, and recovery. This means developing solutions capable of detecting and predicting hazards, as well as effectively reducing losses and mitigating exposure.
This also requires expanding the focus of research beyond prototypes and towards demonstrating, scaling, and deploying solutions. Doing so will ensure that the latest innovations are not only technically fit for purpose, but seen as trustworthy, resilient, and useable, which is key to user uptake.
First responders are calling for improved and innovative tools. Meeting this urgency requires that policymakers reinforce the “last mile” of the innovation pipeline, ensuring that new solutions don’t get stuck in the lab, but become available when and where they are needed.
This will not be possible if Europe’s research continues to work in silos. Researchers must learn to co-design directly with end users and cooperation needs to become non-negotiable.
“We need to better comprehend the all-hazard approach, get out of the silos and connect our thinking to better bridge the gap between science and operations,” said Anna Samsel, from the European Commission’s Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations, during the first plenary session.
Strengthening global partnerships
This cooperation must also extend beyond the EU’s borders. In a panel discussion on “The international dimension of the Copernicus Emergency Management Service”, participants noted that the call for international cooperation and action has created a unique opportunity to explore transferability, develop synergies, and engage in beneficial interactions. To leverage this opportunity, Europe needs to strengthen its cooperation with key relevant institutions in regions such as Latin America and Africa.
Achieving such global ambitions also requires that Europe align its funding instruments, institutional capacity, and data standards. It further demands that a greater emphasis is placed on building global partnerships and initiatives, adapting services to different regional contexts, and ensuring local ownership and sustainability.
The future of emergency risk management
Beyond looking at how Europe can deliver user-ready solutions, the EU Science for Preparedness conference also explored some of the specific solutions which will define the future of emergency risk management. These included rethinking how science approaches risk, improves forecasting, and allows greater use of automated tools.
Rethinking risk assessments
There is a growing need for systemic risk assessment frameworks which move beyond single-hazard risk models to include interdependent and cascading risks. Such frameworks must also look to integrate risk analysis across different scales (global, regional, national) and across sectors such as critical infrastructure, health, and society.
Delivering on this need will require that Europe reframe its risk assessments and preparedness strategies to think ahead about population preparedness and resilience rather than only about response.
Better forecasting for early warning systems
With the ability to detect, analyse, warn, and act across multiple hazards, one panel predicted that end-to-end multi-hazard early warning systems will soon become a cornerstone of emergency preparedness.
However, before end-to-end systems can play this central role, they must be able to integrate several hazard streams (e.g., floods, wildfires, storms), ensure institutional coordination, and be able to efficiently communicate warnings to end-users and affected populations. Furthermore, to be effective, early warning systems must be cross-disciplinary, multi-stakeholder, and able to operate at scale and with speed.
Applying artificial intelligence in disaster management
A session on artificial Intelligence for disaster risk management noted that although AI solutions are already being developed, their potential is not yet fully realised in operational practice. Furthermore, challenges remain in the integration and use of AI in disaster risk management. There is a need to strengthen trust by building explainable and interpretable models, reducing biases affecting the quality of data, and promoting best practices and informed decisions in the application of the right modelling frameworks.
To overcome these challenges, AI tools must draw on domain knowledge, be designed with users in mind, be validated in realistic operational conditions, including through the use of Digital Twins, and be embedded into operational chains. The session also called for innovators to collaborate directly with disaster risk management professionals to ensure that AI solutions are both relevant and usable.
Building capacity for real world impact
While risk assessments, early warning systems and AI will all help drive the future of disaster risk management, technology alone will not make Europe better prepared.
To have a real impact, technology must be complemented by capacity. After all, innovative solutions are only as good as their uptake and even the best tools won’t matter if users don’t know how to use them.
“We can develop anything that we want, but we should not forget the human factor,” said Luigi D’Angelo from the Italian Civil Protection. He spoke during the plenary session, “Innovation: the last mile to operations”, suggesting greater efforts on building the capacity of operators.
Capacity building and uptake were also discussed during a dedicated session moderated by Tobias Biermann, from the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space (DG DEFIS). The session featured panellists Juha-Pekka Japola, Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO); Antonella Morgillo, Italian National Department of Civil Protection; and Ruben Piroska, German Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Relief.
Panellists explained that capacity building is a multi-faceted endeavour which involves training individuals, engaging with users, creating knowledge-sharing platforms, and working to embed institutional change.
The speakers also noted that webinars, workshops, peer-learning, and user-centric design can all be used to improve the uptake of scientific and technical innovations.
While the EU Preparedness Union Strategy sets the course for how Europe can become better prepared for disasters, science and innovation will lead the way. However, preparedness is not just about response. It is also about resilience and foresight.
By developing user-focused, ready-to-use solutions, science can support response, resilience, and foresight, strengthening Europe’s disaster preparedness.
Thematic user meetings across the CEMS components
The third and last day of the conference was dedicated to parallel thematic user meetings for the three CEMS components: on-demand mapping, early warning and monitoring (floods, wildfires, droughts), and exposure mapping.
Across the sessions, participants reviewed how the components performed over the past year, particularly during the 2025 fire and flood seasons, and discussed where improvements are needed. Users highlighted the importance of faster delivery of products in on-demand mapping, reviewed operational challenges and recent developments within the European Flood Awareness System (EFAS), and exchanged experiences and prevention approaches in wildfire management. Drought experts considered progress in drought indicators, impact data, and prediction, while discussions regarding exposure mapping focused on improving population characterisation and making better use of data from the Global Human Settlement Layer (GHSL).
Although each session had its own focus, common themes emerged. Participants stressed the need to continue improving timeliness, expand available data and indicators, and ensure that CEMS products support planning, monitoring, and response needs across different types of hazards.
Across its plenaries, panels and thematic sessions, the EU Science for Preparedness Conference demonstrated how scientific evidence, operational experience, and user needs are coming together to shape a more coherent approach to risk and resilience. The discussions underlined that Europe’s preparedness will depend on practical science, closer cooperation, and tools that reflect real operational needs. These themes will guide the work ahead for the communities involved in risk and emergency management.
Couldn’t make it to Turin? Access the recordings and presentations from the conference here.
Thu, 20/11/2025 – 12:00
